AUGUSTA - This week, the Legislature voted to enact LD 1256, a measure sponsored by Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio, D-Sanford, which would increase access to oral health care by expanding the Maine Dental Education Loan Program.
Maine's current Dental Education Loan Program only provides loans and loan repayment support to dentists practicing in underserved parts of the state. LD 1256 would expand the program to include dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental assistants and expanded function dental assistants.
"The existing loan program has been available for 20 years, yet many Mainers still can't access the care they need," said Mastraccio. "Last session, the Legislature tried to tackle this issue by making oral care more affordable by expanding dental coverage under MaineCare, but the feedback we've gotten is that folks still can't get appointments, even when they can afford it. That tells me that affordability and the number of dentists in the state are not the only barriers to accessing dental care. Its time we optimize our loan repayment program by expanding eligibility to practitioners, like dental therapists, who have been shown to directly enhance a practice's ability to deliver dental care."
The bill now heads to the governor's desk for her signature.
Mastraccio is serving her fifth non-consecutive term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Legislature's Government Oversight Committee and the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee. She represents House District 142, which includes a portion of Sanford and Springvale.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Mastraccio], c. 305-965-2744